The Department of the Interior knew beforehand that two groups of aging veterans would be visiting the World War II Memorial as the partial government shutdown began on Oct. 1 but decided to barricade the site anyway, according to e-mails obtained by National Review Online.

The newly released public records also show National Park Service employees busily monitoring the news for any bad publicity and making shutdown exceptions for their co-workers.

Outraged and baffled, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, crossed through an opening in the railing earlier in the morning – before the breach – and got on the phone to try and reach the secretary of the Department of Interior.

“I don’t get it. I’m furious. I’m trying to get a hold of people,” he said, standing on the other side of the barricade and looking around for help. “But I can’t seem to get a hold of anybody.”

Just absurd and inexcusable. It cost more to barricade the Memorial than to just leave it open, so the argument that the Government shutdown caused this mess has always been specious.

»Roxanne Lewis said...A very good question that someone needs to ask the Army, that allowed him to join without evidence of any substantial treatment or intervention into his illness. And..Read comment

»Warren Graef said...He is a deserter and traitor. Like the other posters here, I believe Bergdahl should be stripped of his rank in military style, tear any insignia from his..Read comment

»GMG2BB63 said...If Bowe could not handle duty with the puddle pirates (USCG) which is not a combat oriented service, what made him think he could handle the infantry??..Read comment

»Mr. Fister said...Get a rope. Bullet is too good for the traitor. Why spend the money for life imprisonment? Besides, he is likely to get a pResidential..Read comment

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News from the World of Military and Veterans Issues. Iraq and A-Stan in parenthesis reflects that the author is currently deployed to that theater.